Top Dawg of the SEC East

This past weekend in college football was a reminder to everyone that the mighty can fall. Five of the 11 undefeated teams were handed their first losses and four of the top ten in the BCS Standings slipped.

No. 10 Georgia 17, No. 2 Florida 9

The Word’s Largest Cocktail Party turned into the World’s Largest Outdoor Turnover Party. Georgia stuffed Florida from every direction, forcing six turnovers in a 17-9 victory. The Bulldogs have won back-to-back games in this heated rivalry for the first time since 1989. The win also denied the Gators a chance to clinch the SEC East and allowed Georgia to control its destiny for the rest of the season. The Bulldogs can win the division by winning their last two SEC games against Ole Miss and Auburn.

No. 5 Notre Dame 30, No. 8 Oklahoma 13

In Norman, Notre Dame rolled all over Oklahoma. There is no denying that the Fighting Irish are a title contender now. QB Everett Golson threw for 177 yards and added a rushing touchdown in Notre Dame’s 30-13 victory. Linebacker Manti Te’o boosted his Heisman Trophy candidacy with 11 tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack and interception as the Irish held the Sooners to just 13 points. Notre Dame is 8-0 for the first time since 2002.

No. 16 Louisville 34, Cincinnati 31 (OT)

For the second straight week Cincinnati blew a second-half lead, but this one seemed to really hurt. Louisville trailed by 10 on two different occasions during the game, but rallied each time. In overtime, Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux threw a costly interception, leading to John Wallace’s game-winning 30-yard field goal and a 34-31 win. Louisville is 8-0 for the first time since 2006. The Cardinals went on to finish 12-1 that season, which included a 24-13 win over Wake Forrest in the Orange Bowl.

No. 13 South Carolina 38, Tennessee 35

South Carolina was forced to finish last season without star running back Marcus Lattimore. This season the Gamecocks sadly have to do the same. Lattimore led the Gamecock ground attack against Tennessee, rushing for 65 yards and a score before being carted off the field in the second quarter with a right leg injury. The South Carolina team physician announced Sunday that Lattimore hyperextended his right knee while causing injury to several ligaments. Lattimore has already made it back once through a tough rehab process, returning as one of the nation’s top backs this season. He finishes the year 662 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The most anticipated weekend of the college football season is upon us. The rematch of the 2012 BCS National Championship Game will take place from Baton Rouge. No. 1 Alabama and No. 5 LSU will battle for the third time in less than a year when the teams meet in a contest that could go a long way in shaping the national championship picture.

No. 17 USC looks to play the spoiler role for No. 4 Oregon’s national title hopes. In the preseason, it seemed perfectly reasonable to imagine that these two Pac-12 powerhouses would match up to be 8-0 this weekend. But the Trojans took a big hit last weekend dropping from No. 9 to No. 17 after falling to Arizona. They look to rebound off the loss and stop Oregon’s fast-paced offense.